Oh wow! That is so scary. I'm so sorry you have to deal with this. I think I'd sleep in a chair in the living room with a big gun in my lap. I can't imagine how anxious you must be. I'm glad you can change the locks right away. Chances are, they won't come to your house because they know you're likely to be ready for them. They'll prey on some other unsuspecting person. That door jam lock is a nifty invention. That should make you feel better. And yeah, if you have a holster, you can keep the gun on you all the time for a while...until you feel like things have settled down. I think it's a good thing to go through scenarios in your mind before you would have to use a gun so you're sure not to fumble or anything, should something happen. (which I doubt) I think you will get past this. Get some support from someone to help you sort through it all. I just can't imagine what this must do to someone. I'm so sorry. (((hugs)))

__________________"If you love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen." -- Samuel Adams 1776

"When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty."

Not mugged (who would be that crazy ) but my dad woke up and saw a guy run out of their bedroom. I found the open back patio door and the footprints. He'd rifled the car -- did it again a few nights later. Kharma and I would have had him caught if my mom hadn't turned the lights on and stuck her head out of the side door and started calling us Their house is next door to mine and I know he's lurked around my house before.

Three neighbors have been broken into, had outbuildings broken into and odd things happening.

The cops don't even bother to patrol at night. I hope you can get them to patrol around your place at least for awhile.

Yah, it's a rotten feeling, that you aren't secure in your own domain, and the only way to really get over it is to be able to feel like you CAN take control of your own security if it comes to it. The gun isn't doing you any good in the safe, but I can understand the necessity with a young child in the house. Just do whatever you need to do to feel that you have the power to make someone sorry they ever set foot uninvited into your home.

You walk into my house you have a choice . . . The lady or the Fila. Or both if you're lucky. That's what a 12 gauge is for, or if I'm REALLY pissed off, the wrecking bar.

Oh, and it's a good idea to keep your house keys on a separate keychain from your car keys. Leave your house keys in the car, where they aren't in plain sight, that way if someone DOES get your keys while you're away from the car they don't have the easy entry to your home.

__________________In a controversy the instant we feel anger we have already ceased striving for the truth, and have begun striving for ourselves. ~Buddha

Stupid is the most notoriously incurable and contagious disease known to mankind. If you find yourself in close proximity to someone infected with stupid, walk away as soon as said infection is noted.

There are few things more nauseating than pure obedience. ~ Kvothe

***8206;"silence is the language of god, all else is poor translation."
— Rumi
Be a god. Know when to shut up.

2 things
1 you are experiencing some degree of PTSD, take advantage of every opportunity to talk to someone (in person where they can express emotional support is extremely important)
2 you have to regain your confidence in your safety. do this by taking some form of combative arts classes karate, judo, juijitsu etc. also take a concealed carry course & get the permit. (whether or not to actually carry &/or buy your own pistol is a choice you can make later) spend some time & money shooting your current pistol. the knowledge & skills that come from this is invaluable & will go miles into regaining confidence in your safety. then in your mind play out dozens of scenarios everywhere you go & at home. this will help develop situational awareness (SA). SA helps avoid threats but also gives you a tactical advantage if you can't because you know you're going to act & the threat doesn't.

2 things
1 you are experiencing some degree of PTSD, take advantage of every opportunity to talk to someone (in person where they can express emotional support is extremely important)
2 you have to regain your confidence in your safety. do this by taking some form of combative arts classes karate, judo, juijitsu etc. also take a concealed carry course & get the permit. (whether or not to actually carry &/or buy your own pistol is a choice you can make later) spend some time & money shooting your current pistol. the knowledge & skills that come from this is invaluable & will go miles into regaining confidence in your safety. then in your mind play out dozens of scenarios everywhere you go & at home. this will help develop situational awareness (SA). SA helps avoid threats but also gives you a tactical advantage if you can't because you know you're going to act & the threat doesn't.

I agree with this. I use to take karate for years and I didn't take it for that purpose, but you can't help but gain confidence. It's very good for you physically and mentally. And it's a blast too!

__________________"If you love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen." -- Samuel Adams 1776

"When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty."

I agree with this. I use to take karate for years and I didn't take it for that purpose, but you can't help but gain confidence. It's very good for you physically and mentally. And it's a blast too!

I also took karate (tae kwon do) for years and the one thing they stressed was situational awareness so we didn't have to use it unless it was absolutely necessary. Our school also taught self-defense moves, outside of the usual forms and sparring techniques, so if you're thinking about martial arts, look for a school that does that, too.

There are a lot of different types of martial arts, some teach weapons, others don't. If there's someone teaching Kali (filipino martial arts) in your area, you might want to look into it. It's fun, it's patterned as a dance (when the Spaniards outlawed martial arts in the Philippines, instructors turned it into a dance and kept on teaching) and it's taught using sticks, knives, swords and open hands. The theory is, if someone hits you once, you hit him back about fifteen times, usually with a stick or two...

Not mugged (who would be that crazy ) but my dad woke up and saw a guy run out of their bedroom. I found the open back patio door and the footprints. He'd rifled the car -- did it again a few nights later. Kharma and I would have had him caught if my mom hadn't turned the lights on and stuck her head out of the side door and started calling us Their house is next door to mine and I know he's lurked around my house before.

Three neighbors have been broken into, had outbuildings broken into and odd things happening.

The cops don't even bother to patrol at night. I hope you can get them to patrol around your place at least for awhile.

Yah, it's a rotten feeling, that you aren't secure in your own domain, and the only way to really get over it is to be able to feel like you CAN take control of your own security if it comes to it. The gun isn't doing you any good in the safe, but I can understand the necessity with a young child in the house. Just do whatever you need to do to feel that you have the power to make someone sorry they ever set foot uninvited into your home.

You walk into my house you have a choice . . . The lady or the Fila. Or both if you're lucky. That's what a 12 gauge is for, or if I'm REALLY pissed off, the wrecking bar.

Oh, and it's a good idea to keep your house keys on a separate keychain from your car keys. Leave your house keys in the car, where they aren't in plain sight, that way if someone DOES get your keys while you're away from the car they don't have the easy entry to your home.

Well the safe is designed to be easy to get into for home defense. It's a small safe. It has a 4 button key pad and you enter a quick and easy 5 digit code. Then it pops open and the gun is loaded and it's a semi-automatic so it's ready to go. If you are aware that someone is in your home before they get to you it's good. We have the chime set on our alarm so hopefully we would be aware in time if someone got in. Our alarm is not monitored but we will have it turned back on.

Could you just call and give your PD a heads up. I know when that happened to one of my friends they told the cop in that area and he made sure to do some more drive throughs in her neighborhood for the next couple nights.

__________________
Thank you Vivien and Angel Chicken for the siggy! Also I have been frosted!!! And as of 9/13/07 I know the secret handshake!